Having recently purchased Hugh Piggots windmill plans,does any one know of a source for magnets in S.A. or is it cheaper to order them online from overseas? Living in the Cape with the Cape Doctor as a free energy supply , are there any other like minded people in the area to share information with?

Hi jevan. I am busy comparing costs for ordering over the net plus shipping vs local suppliers. Often for ordering 100 or more there are significant discounts, so I if you let me know the size (probably about 50x25x12mm?) and I will try and get a few peoples orders together. I am also in Cape Town, so that is easy...

And yes, there are like minded people here! If you would like to have a page on the site describing your progress, please let me know, and we will make a plan, or of course post it here. Look forward to hearing...

Hi. Only one place in Western Cape I know that sells winding wire - I think called W.S.T. Its in Paarden Eiland, they sell by the Kilo (NOT length), and are not very friendly to occasional customers - you need to know exactly what you want before going there to their dirty and dingy sales office. I think they mainly deal with large repeat customers, so doubt they give out the best pricing either (you can get an idea of the ethos of the company by the fact the parking just outside is reserved for the pompous senior staff, not customers!)

What size wire are you after, and how much? I may have some left over...

How's it Windgat?Looking for 1.4mm wire.(enough to wind 6 coils of 25 turns using 3wires in hand) .thanks for the info will check out this magnet company during the week. Are you constructing wind generators for personal use or do you have a greater plan?

Hi jevan. Ok, I have thinner than 1.4mm, sorry. Maybe u want to do a test to make sure it all fits before you buy a lot of copper - the coils can end up surprisingly bulky.

It all started for personal use, but am thinking of getting a list of parts together for sale (now that I have the jigs etc), and also running workshops on how to build your own... maybe also something for schools.

Hi flyfish, thanks! I am thinking of getting some 2x1x0.5 inch epoxy coated N42 grade magnets shipped here. If you want in, let me know, and I will get an extra set or two shipped at the same time. How many would you use?

windgat wrote:Every now and again I try and get together a few people who need magnets and see if we can get a better price. I will probably be getting a batch of 50x20x8mm soon (within the next month).

Hi chalnikkal, yes you can use those round mags. As someone else said: they are not very powerful and mostly good for toying around. I am also using them now to make a vertical turbine called my `Green Dream II', since the whole turbine is `saved' from the scrapyard: the mags from old microwaves; for the rotor I use 8 x 20 liter oil cans cut in half and stacked 90 degrees (alternating) on a single shaft to make a cute (but not very efficient) savonius rotor; the hub is a water pump from a vehicle; the two steel plates for the alternator are two square 3,2 mm pieces (they need not be round, only balanced); the enamel wire is .8 mm leftovers from previous jobs and the rest is tubing and pipes for the frame and stand. This is just a toy to show people that we are blessed with WIND AND WIND IS POWER TO BE HARNESSED. FOR FREE.I use ferrites, 75 x 50 x 25 (24 per alternator) on the serious jobs, and having imported many of them, I have to spare should you be interested. They work well.You can also go to Hugh Piggott's blog where he shows Pedro (from Portugal, where else) building an alternator with microwave mags, stacking them up in 3's to get more power. But honestly, they are just for fun and not worth trying to generate serious power. And as that man Hugh always says: HAVE FUN!!windwize